1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electrically powered toy vehicles, particularly in the form of toy race cars.
2. Prior Art
Electrically powered toy race cars are well known in the prior art. Such race cars take various forms and sizes. Of particular importance to the present invention are prior art race cars which are sold together with track sections which can be assembled into a race track for the cars. The track, of course, must have a size that is in proportion to the race cars themselves, and accordingly, to keep costs down there is an advantage in manufacturing and selling very small cars which in turn will use relatively small tracks.
Most electrically powered race cars utilize small rechargeable batteries together with an electric motor that somehow transfers rotary power to a set of wheels. In some electric toy race car designs the motor is mounted with its shaft parallel to an axle of the race car, with the shaft contacting the top of the tire on the respective wheel of the car to provide a friction drive thereto. Such a configuration has the advantage of simplicity, though it has certain disadvantages. In particular, such an arrangement tends to pick up floor debris such as lint, particles of dust and hair which accumulate on the tire and shaft of the motor, interfering with the operation of the drive system. Another disadvantage is the fact that if a solid axle is used to couple the drive wheel of the vehicle to the opposite wheel on the same axle, the diameter of the motor can become quite limited because of the required clearance between the motor and the axle. Further, placement of the motor shaft parallel to an axle shaft means that the length of the motor determines the width of the vehicle, which in turn requires a longer vehicle to maintain the proper vehicle proportions.